For just short of three years, this blog has served me well. It saw me through the last year of nursing school, and my first year and a half of working in the real world. But, I feel as though I am growing out of it. I just have not been into writing here lately (as you can tell by the lack of posts). So, on this sunny April Sunday morning I have decided to start fresh somewhere else. If you want to follow me there, you are welcome.

I am just over a month into my ICU classes/orientation.

So far, we have studied cardiology and written 3 tests on it. We have studied half of our respiratory information and will write our test on it tomorrow.

We have done 10 clinical shifts, where we are buddied with a different nurse each time and work with him/her to care for a patient, doing a little more each shift. I have drawn blood from an art line, suctioned trach/ETT, set up CVP monitor. I have gotten to watch a patient being extubated, a trach inserted, and a PEG inserted. I have given report during daily rounds three times. I have charted the head-to-toe assessment and the narrative notes.

I guess it all sums up to... so far so good. I like it so far. :)

Happy Saturday

Just finished third week of training for ICU, and fifth clinical shift on the unit.

Thought of the week . . . Working in the ICU at the city's trauma centre gives one a different view of events in the news.

*Might have a story to tell eventually . . . however is still big news story and will have to wait until the smoke clears*

Moving on... moving up.... turning over a new leaf....

One week and a half ago I worked my last shift on my old medicine unit. The only unit I had worked on since graduating. The unit which made me cry, laugh, question my decision to go into nursing, and confirmed why I went into nursing.... all at once. (gads that sounds cheesy... :)

Today I started the 20 week orientation to the ICU. Although I have already completed most of the critical care certificate program through a local college, they still want me to go through their full orientation (aka their version of the critical care course). At worst, it will be 20 long weeks full of stuff I have already learned. At best, it will be a good review of what I have already learned while getting paid to do it.

I have been very bad at keeping up with the blog lately, and have probably missed telling some interesting stories. Maybe as I remember them I will post them. Maybe I will just let them slide by.... we'll see.

Maybe it is time to come up with a new name and description.....

christmas kismet
Originally uploaded by :) Ali.

Just a quick post to wish everyone reading this a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!